


Of the Lion King and Embarrassment

by AgentJoanneMills



Category: DCU, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cuties, Dork, F/F, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 15:12:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5631133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentJoanneMills/pseuds/AgentJoanneMills
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kara loves The Lion King. And she’s singing “The Circle of Life,” dancing in the kitchen of the apartment she shares with her older cousin, when one of said cousin’s friends walks in. </p><p>And sees her. </p><p>In her underwear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of the Lion King and Embarrassment

**Author's Note:**

> *Recognizable elements belong to their respective owners.  
> **Merely a work of fanfiction. No copyright infringement intended.

 

Today is going to be a wonderful day for Kara.

And sure, all those who know her thinks that everyday seems to be a wonderful day for her. It’s just who she is, they’d say. Always seeing the bright side of everything, no matter how dark and bad they actually are.

Even when her whole family died, leaving her and her older cousin alone in the world, Kara never lost that positive streak. Instead of wallowing in despair, as normal people are wont to do when faced with unimaginable tragedy, Kara kept her head up— _like Mother taught me_ —and dealt with her uncertain future head on.

Her family, the House of El, one of the most powerful families in the world, crumbled like dust when its leaders were assassinated. Only luck and fast thinking saved her and her cousin, Kal El—heir to the company—from suffering the same fate.

They were taken in by the Kents, who served the House of El loyally through the ages. Kal was sixteen, and she was thirteen, and they were _quietly_ cared for in one of their family’s secret properties in Kansas. They lived clandestine lives, until three years ago, when Kal was prepared enough to reappear and reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

Now at twenty-seven, Kal is beginning to restore their family to its former glory. Kara couldn’t be prouder of him, especially knowing that he hated himself during those early years, blaming himself for his parents’ demise. Only Kara was able to coax him out of his shell, reminding him that no matter what, she’s there for him. Telling him that they’d do whatever it takes to make sure that their family did not die in vain.

And they _did_ make sure of it.

Anyway.

Today marks the third year of House of El’s restoration, and Kara is beyond excited.

It’s not even eight in the morning yet, and Kara can feel the greatness the next hours have in store for her.

She just got her letter of acceptance to Yale’s postgraduate school, as opposed to her cousin, who got his master’s degree from Harvard—they got into a playful competition regarding the universities, but in the end, Kal gifted her with like, an _entire_ collection of Yale merchandise. She also closed a deal with CatCo Worldwide, officially allying the House of El with National City’s Queen of Media—it was a ruthless negotiation, and Kara’s extremely relieved when they finally settled into a mutually and equally beneficial agreement.

And Kal also told her that he decided to ask for Lois Lane’s hand in marriage, sooner rather than later.

So Kara definitely wakes up on the right side of bed, and she’s so sure it is going to be a _wonderful_ day, and no one can tell her otherwise.

In celebration, Kara decides to get up earlier than usual, forgoing her Saturday habit of not leaving the bed unless it’s noon or there’s an emergency, whichever comes first. She pads to the kitchen without throwing on trousers or shorts, instead staying in her grey oversize House Stark sweatshirt over black cartoon wolf–covered underwear.

She sees a note Kal left her on the counter, by the coffee maker (which is full of steaming hot coffee, god bless her cousin), saying Aunt Martha and Uncle Jonathan Kent will be arriving here on Metropolis this morning, and he’s picking them up. So for the moment, she’s alone in the penthouse.

She stills. She’s going to be alone here more in the coming days, especially when Kal finally marries Lois and they get to have a place of their own.

She refuses to think about that right now.

She pours herself a cup of coffee, and thinks of breakfast. Pancakes sound good, and she’s been trying to perfect Aunt Martha’s recipe. Now seems as good a time as any to see if she’s approaching said perfection.

She prepares the ingredients, recalling the tips her aunt gave her in mixing the batter.

Halfway through cooking, she goes to the iPod dock in the corner and selects one of her favorite songs in forever, hoping to bring up again the fantastic mood she woke up in. The opening strains of _The Lion King_ ’s “The Circle of Life” dances in the air, and she’s helpless to smile.

_Some say eat or be eaten_

She places another flawlessly cooked pancake on a plate beside the stove, and pours more batter in the pan.

_Some say live and let live_

Her left hand clutching the metal spatula, she takes a sip of coffee with the other, once more admiring Kal’s ability to brew it to her taste.

_But all are agreed as they join the stampede_

_You should never take more than you give_

She clears her throat, preparing for the chorus, and she brings the spatula close to her mouth, using it as a makeshift microphone.

She belts out, “ _In the circle of life, it’s the wheel of fortune . . ._ ”

She flips the pancake skillfully, not breaking stride, “ _It’s the leap of faith, it’s the band of hope . . ._ ”

She begins swaying in the kitchen, remembering all the times she watched the film with her parents. Her father, Zor El, would often place her atop his broad shoulders, and her mother, Alura, would laugh at their antics, avoiding their clumsy dancing as she cooks them dinner.

She draws from that childhood feeling as she continues to sing. “ _’til we find our place_ , _on the path unwinding in the circle o_ —”

Kara’s eyes widen and she stops mid-song as she sees that she’s not alone in the kitchen anymore.

Across the room stands an exceptionally gorgeous short-haired brunette about Kal’s age, her expression a combination of amusement and secondhand embarrassment. She’s wearing dark fitted jeans and a black blazer over a crisp white oxford shirt.

She looks kind of familiar, but mostly she looks professional, like someone who takes business seriously, and Kara is struck by the horrible thought that _she’s facing a well-dressed stranger in her freaking geeky underwear_.

_Oh, god._

She gulps, and really, there are two ways to play this. She could be her usual awkward self and bumble through a half-assed explanation, or she could like, play it cool. As cool as she is capable of. Which is not much. But still. This is _her_ place. She won’t be embarrassed because an unexpected guest—about whom she know nothing, and really, how did she get in here, anyway?—caught her having a _Lion King_ moment.

So Kara shuts off the stove, places a hand on her hip and the other on the counter, and raises an eyebrow. “Tell me you haven’t done the same,” she says, and there’s a hint of a challenge there.

The brunette gapes at her indignantly, opening her mouth to retort. But she thinks better of it.

Kara smirks. “That’s what I thought.”

The brunette sighs, but it’s not in disagreement. An exasperated smile is even playing on her lips. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to interrupt your . . .” she waves a hand in Kara’s general direction, “personal concert. Clark—” at this Kara frowns in confusion; that’s the name Kal used in Kansas, and she hasn’t heard it in a long time “—gave me a key, and permission to enter. I was supposed to go over the details of his proposal with him and his cousin, whom I assume is you?”

Kara nods. She approaches the other girl and extends her hand. “I’m Kara.”

“Alex,” the brunette says. She takes Kara’s hand, and Kara’s heart almost jumps out of her chest at the contact.

“Alex . . .” She knows that name. “Like, Danvers? Alexandra Danvers?”

Alex looks confused. “Yeah?”

Ah. So that’s why she looks familiar. Kara saw her in some photos before, but she’s got longer hair there. And she also used the name _Clark_ , a necessary identity when the House of El’s heir was in hiding. The name probably stuck; Kal’s a nerd and Clark is a nerd name, Kara used to tell him. It suits him better.

“You’re the FBI agent Kal befriended when he was in Harvard, aren’t you?”

Alex gives her an amused smile. “Yes, that’s about right.”

“Oh.” There’s something in those eyes, and it makes Kara feel warm all over. She averts her gaze, looking down at her feet.

And realizing that she’s still clothed rather indecently.

“Crap,” she mumbles to the floor, self-consciously, “Sorry. I should probably, like, put on some pants.”

“If you want,” Alex tells her.

Kara’s head snaps up so fast, she’s surprised she doesn’t get whiplash. “What?”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable in your own kitchen.”

And Kara swears Alex is teasing her, her dark eyes dancing with suppressed laughter.

“And well, I mean, I’m sworn to House Stark myself,” there’s an impish smirk there, “but shouldn’t you be a Lannister if you’re singing from _The Lion King_?”

Oh, yeah, Alex is definitely teasing her.

“The Lannisters don’t respect the circle of life,” Kara blurts out. She can feel her cheeks warming up to shit-I’m-such-a-dork degrees. She should probably make her escape now, before digging herself deeper into this hole of embarrassment. “I’m gonna put on my pants.” She takes her plate of pancakes and begins marching toward her room.

But.

She’s not so sure she should leave Alex alone in the kitchen. One of the rules of being a good host is to always keep the guest company, right? And Alura taught Kara that she should always be a good host because that’s one of the signs of being a good person, in general. So, maybe she should come back. And she should offer Alex some food. Yes. That’s a nice plan.

She stares at her pancakes. They’re the perfect golden brown, and she’s sure they taste just as good. It’ll be a waste to not share this sort of food, right? Even though she does love her pancakes, and won’t share them with Kal, if asked.

Kara remembers Alex’s eyes, and she makes up her mind. She puts down the plate on the nearest table and sprints to her room. She puts on the first pair of shorts she sees, and then she backtracks to the kitchen.

She finds Alex sitting on one of the stools, now, absently humming along “The Circle of Life,” apparently set on repeat.

Alex sees her in the corner of her eyes and looks up. “Hey.”

Kara smiles, turns on the stove, and puts her plate beside it. She picks up her spatula and the bowl of batter. “Want pancakes?”

Alex grins at her, and it takes Kara’s breath away. “Sure.”

 

That’s how Kal and their aunt and uncle see them later, in the kitchen, sharing a plate of delicious pancakes, _The Lion King_ soundtrack filling the room.

 

See?

Today is certainly a wonderful day.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:  
> “Your my older brother’s friend and you just caught me singing the circle of life while dancing around the kitchen in my embarrassing underwear and all I can respond with is ‘Tell me u haven’t done the same??? … That’s what I fucking thought.’”
> 
> No, seriously, that’s the prompt. And I don’t know how it became this. ;_; Obviously, I changed brother to cousin and welp here we are.


End file.
